Internet Based Spa Networking System Having Wireless Spa Nodes

ABSTRACT

A spa node comprising a spa controller, a power sense adapter configured to compute power being drawn by selected spa components; a spa network adapter, and a home network adapter, each of the three adapters including a wireless transceiver wherein the spa network adapter is configured to receive power data transmitted over a wireless link by the power sense adapter and to further receive status/performance data from the spa controller. The home network adapter is configured to receive power and status data transmitted by the spa network adapter over a wireless link and to convert that data to a form suitable for transmission to an Internet access point. The home network adapter is further linkable over the Internet to a central server, a dealer computer and a spa owner or user computer.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/378,339, filed Aug. 30, 2010, entitled,“Internet Based Spa Networking System Having Wireless Spa Nodes,” thecontents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The subject disclosure relates to systems for monitoring and controllingvarious parameters related to the operation of portable spas, tubs, andthe like, and more particularly to a system featuring a wireless spanode and Internet based control system linking spa owners/users and spadealers to the wireless spa node.

2. Related Art

Portable spa have become quite popular as a result of their ease of useand multiplicity of features such as varied jet and seatingconfigurations. One area where the inventor has recognized that ease ofuse could be enhanced is the area of monitoring and controlling spaoperation both from a user and dealer standpoint.

SUMMARY

The following is a summary description of illustrative embodiments ofthe invention. It is provided as a preface to assist those skilled inthe art to more rapidly assimilate the detailed design discussion whichensues and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the claimswhich are appended hereto in order to particularly point out theinvention.

In an illustrative embodiment, a spa controller is configured to controloperation of a plurality of spa components and to generate dataregarding the status and/or performance of such components. Thecontroller comprises part of a spa node further comprising a power senseadapter configured to compute power being drawn by selected spacomponents; a spa network adapter, and a home network adapter, each ofthe three adapters including a wireless transceiver. The spa networkadapter is configured to receive power data transmitted over a wirelesslink by the power sense adapter and to further receivestatus/performance data from the spa controller. The home networkadapter is configured to receive power and status data transmitted bythe spa network adapter over a wireless link and to convert that data toa form suitable for transmission to an Internet access point. The homenetwork adapter is further linkable over the Internet to a centralserver, a dealer computer and/or spa owner or user computer.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating operation of an illustrativeembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a system block diagram of one embodiment of an Internet basedsystem for storing and distributing spa status information;

FIGS. 4-7 illustrate web pages which may be provided by a central serverto a homeowner computer according to one illustrative embodiment;

FIGS. 8-11 illustrate web pages which may be provided by a centralserver to a spa dealer computer according to one illustrativeembodiment;

FIGS. 12-21 illustrate an alternative embodiment of webpages which maybe provided by a central server to a spa user/owner's computer;

FIGS. 22-25 illustrate an alternate set of web pages which may beprovided by a central server to a spa dealer computer;

FIGS. 26-32 illustrate one embodiment of a handheld device applicationfor communicating in the spa networking system.

FIG. 33 illustrates an alternate spa networking embodiment employingdirect data tunneling.

FIG. 34 illustrates a spa network adapter embodiment employing a “joinmode” of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An illustrative embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. It includes a spacontroller 13, which in an illustrative embodiment includes a maincontrol printed circuit board (PCB) 15 and an input power PCB 17. Thesystem further includes a power subpanel or breaker box 19, acooperating power sense adapter (PSA) 21, a spa network adapter (SNA)23, and a home network adapter (HNA) 25. The components shown in FIG. 1are all typically located in the immediate vicinity of a home or othersite where a spa is located and may be collectively referred to as a“spa node.”

In an illustrative embodiment, the SNA 23 and HNA 25 each include awireless transceiver, which in an illustrative embodiment is aZigBee/802.15.4 transceiver, for example, such as an MRF 24 J40 MBtransceiver module as available from Microchip Technology Inc. The SNA23 and HNA 25 each also include a microcontroller for coordinating,sequencing, and controlling their operation. In one embodiment, themicrocontroller may be a 32-bit flash microcontroller such as theMicrochip Technology PIC32MX. The PSA 21 may comprise an Ember EM250chip, which includes a ZigBee transceiver and a 16 bit microprocessor.Thus, the PSA 21 and SNA 23 are configured to communicate with oneanother wirelessly over a wireless channel or channels, as are the SNA23 and HNA 25.

In one aspect of operation, power is supplied to the spa from aninterconnection between a subpanel 19 and the input power PCB 17.Current transformers 31 provide current sense signals to the PSA 21. ThePSA 21 also monitors the voltage across each subpanel circuit conductorpair and computes the power drawn from each subpanel circuit, applyingpower factor compensation. The PSA 21 may then transmit the compensatedpower data to the SNA 23 utilizing a wireless link between their twowireless transceivers.

The SNA 23 also receives other data regarding spa status and operatingconditions from the spa controller 13 and transmits such data along withpower data wirelessly to the HNA 25 over a link between their respectivewireless transceivers. In one embodiment, the HNA 25 then converts thedata to a format such as Fast Ethernet suitable for communication to adevice adapted for Internet transmission, e.g., such as a home computer,telephone modem or router. Table 1 below is a data map illustrating spasystem status and performance parameters which may be transmitted by theSNA 23 through the HNA 25 to the central server 111 in one illustrativeembodiment.

The spa controller 13 may include one or more microprocessors ormicrocontrollers as well as fault detection hardware, which may receiveinputs from a high limit temperature sensor, a temperature regulationsensor, and a pressure regulation sensor. The controller 13 may furtherbe configured to switch on or off a spa water heater 33, one or more jetpumps 35, a circulation pump 36, an ozone generator 37, an audio system38, and/or spa lights and external lighting 39.

In one embodiment of a subpanel-to-spa power connection, 20 amp and 30amp two pole A.C. breaker circuits are provided. In this embodiment, the30 amp A.C. circuit supplies two jet pumps and other spa equipment,while the 20 amp A.C. circuit is dedicated solely to the spa electricalresistance heater 33, which may be, for example, a 4 KW heater. Fourcurrent transformers 31 may be used to respectively monitor the 20 ampcircuit and the 30 amp circuit. A third measurement is also made for theparallel circuit comprising one or more jet pumps 35 and other spaequipment, e.g., 36, 37, 38, 39.

Employing such an embodiment, a number of power measurements may bemade. For example, if one of the jet pumps 35 is “on”, the currenttransformers 31 may report 10 amps being drawn by the “on” jet pump,while a “to ground” measurement yields 12.2 amps. Taking the differenceyields 2.2 amps being drawn by the remainder of the active spaequipment, i.e., equipment which is in the “on” state.

In one embodiment, the spa controller 13 signals the SNA 23 that it isabout to turn “on” a selected spa equipment component. The SNA 23 thencommunicates with the PSA 21 to cause the PSA 21 to sense theincremental increase in power drawn by that component. For example, asshown in FIG. 2, in steps 41, 42, the controller 13 may decide to turn“on” the heater 33 and then signals the SNA 23 that it is about to turnon the heater 33, which signal is received by the SNA in step 43. TheSNA 23 then alerts the PSA 21, in step 44, to take “before” and “after”readings to determine the power supplied to the heater 37. If the heater33 is later turned off, the SNA 23 may poll the PSA 21 again. The SNA 23may then signal the controller 13 that “Heater Off” power data has beenacquired in step 45 and that signal is received by the controller 13 atstep 46. In the steps 47 and 48, the controller 13 turns on the heater33 and signals the SNA 23 that it has turned on the heater 33. The SNA23 then obtains the “Heater On” power data and transmits that power datato the HNA 25. In one embodiment, the HNA 25 then transmits the powerdata to the server/database 111 of FIG. 3, for example, for subsequentdisplay to the spa user or to the dealer who sold the spa to the user,as subsequently discussed in more detail.

Similarly, in one embodiment, if a jet pump is to be turned on, the SNA23 may then poll the PSA 21 for a power reading. Thus, a programmedgeneration and exchange of power data is accomplished through theinteraction of the spa controller 13, and the wirelessly coupled PSA 21and SNA 23. The PSA 21 may further be programmed to periodically sampleand store selected power data and to respond by transmitting such datato the SNA 23 when polled by SNA 23, which may operate in a periodicpolling mode. The PSA 21 may further be programmed to clear its memoryafter a certain point to avoid data overflow.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of an Internet based system for storing anddistributing status information which has been sent by the SNA 23 to theHNA 25. This system comprises a central server 111, a spa dealercomputer 113, a homeowner computer 115, a home network adaptor (HNA) 25and a spa network adapter (SNA) 23. In the system of FIG. 3, each spahas a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address, as does each dealercomputer and homeowner computer. In one embodiment, there would be manyhomeowner computers and dealer computers. In various embodiments, thehomeowner and dealer may access the system using any one of many knownaccess devices such as personal computers or handheld devices.

In the system of FIG. 3, the dealer computer 113 and the homeownercomputer 115 each may access the central server 111 to view systemstatus and configuration information. Either the dealer or homeownercomputer 113, 111 may transmit commands to the HNA 25 for subsequenttransfer to the SNA 23 and then to the spa controller 13. Such commandsmay include “jet pump on/off,” “blower on/off” and “lighting control”commands. In one embodiment, such control commands for the spa equipmentare only transmitted directly from the dealer or homeowner computer (orweb access device) to the homeowner's Internet Access Point, then to theHNA 25, then to the SNA 23, and then to the spa controller 13.

As an example of operation, assume that a spa owner “clicks” on agraphic button on a web page displayed on his or her home computer inorder to turn the spa jets on. The web page contains programming whichresponds to the user action by causing a “turn jets on” command to berouted to the IP Address associated with the homeowner's specific HNA25. This specific HNA 25 receives the command, and the SNA 23 is advisedand sends the command to the spa controller 13, which responds to thecommand by turning on the spa jets.

The spa controller 13 then sends data to the SNA 23 confirming that thejet pump has been turned on. The SNA 23 makes a Power Data Request tothe power sense adapter (PSA) 21 and receives power data. The jet pump'soperating data and the power data are then sent to the HNA 25, whichforwards this data, along with its own identification data to thecentral server 111, which then updates its data base for that particularhomeowner's spa. Should the homeowner or dealer thereafter access thatspa's web page from the central server 111, the database fills in thepage's graphics with the latest updated data.

System status information and performance factors which may betransmitted to the central servicer in one embodiment are illustrated inthe data map of Table I below:

TABLE 1 Data Map # Data Paint Description 01 Jets 1 hour of serviceCumulative time of Jet Pump 1 Relay closed - Resettable 02 Jets 2 hoursof service Cumulative time of Jet Pump 2 Relay closed - Resettable 03Jets 3 hours of service Cumulative time of Jet Pump 3 Relay closed -Resettable 04 Control hours of service Cumulative time of Spa ControlPower On - Resettable 05 Heater hours of service Cumulative time ofHeater Relay closed - Resettable 06 Grand Total Jet hours 07 Grand TotalJet hours 08 Grand Total Jet hours 09 Jet pump 1 High current senseValue in Amps 10 Jet pump 1 Low current sense Value in Amps 11 Jet pump2 High current sense Value in Amps 12 Jet pump 1 Low current sense Valuein Amps 13 Jet pump 3 High current sense Value in Amps 14 Jet pump 3 Lowcurrent sense Value in Amps 15 Heater current sense Value in Amps 16Blower current sense Value in Amps 17 Monthly Energy Value in Wattsaccumulated from PSA 18 Yearly Value in Watts accumulated from PSA 19Grand Total Value in Watts accumulated from PSA 20 Total input powerCalculated value in watts from Power Sense Assembly Data 21 Average A/CVoltage Value in Volts acquired by PSA 22 Peak A/C Voltage Value inVolts acquired by PSA 23 Lowest A/C Voltage Value in Volts acquired byPSA 24 Average DC Voltage 25 Peak DC Voltage 26 Lowest DC Voltage 27Error Data Error Code Data 28 Power loss count On/Off 29 Clear ErrorCodes 30 Heater state Monitors Heater On/Off 31 Jet 1 State High, Low,Off 32 Jet 2 State High, Low, Off 33 Jet 3 State High, Low, Off 34 Lightintensity Status Value 35 Light Color Status Value 36 Light Wheel SpeedStatus Value 37 Circ Pump State Monitors Circ Pump Relay On/Off 38Blower state Monitors Blower Relay On/Off 39 Set temperature StoredValue I Degrees 40 Regulating Temperature data Control Sensor Value inDegrees 41 Limiting Temperature data Control Sensor Value in Degrees 42Peripheral status Status as reported to active peripheral address:Enabled/Disabled 43 Ozone state Monitors Ozone Relay On/Off 44SmartBreaker On/Off (Future) 45 Clean Mode On/Off, Settable 46 SummerTimer mode On/Off, Settable 47 Sleep Mode On/Off, Settable 48 WaterTreatment state On/Off - Error Status 49 50Such data may then be used to populate various items in the display orcompute values for display.

FIGS. 4-7 illustrate one embodiment web pages which may be provided to ahomeowner computer 115 by the central server 111 to provide spa systemstatus information to the homeowner/user, while FIGS. 8-11 illustrateone embodiment web pages which may be provided by the central server 111to a spa dealer to allow the dealer to monitor the spa status andperform diagnostics. Such a system may be of great advantage to spadealers, for example, in reducing the number of, and/or eliminating,maintenance trips to the user/homeowner's site/home. The user and dealerweb pages will now be described in more detail.

FIG. 4 illustrates a user log-in webpage where the user may enter hisname and password to gain access to the system. Performance of aselection operation such as clicking or touching on one of the links,e.g., 140, 141, 142, 143, across the top of the page such as “my spa”141, “my media” 142, status 143, etc., allows access to other web pages.

FIG. 5 illustrates the display screen generated when the “my spa” link141 is selected by the user. The display screen provides display areas145, 146, 147 which enable the user to view the spa water temperature,set the spa water temperature, view the status of the jets, turn thejets on or off or set jet speed, and control various spa lightingfeatures by either turning them on or off. A spa ready message 144 mayalso be provided to indicate that the spa is ready for use and add theset temperature. A message board display 145 may also be provided wherethe system advises the user that, for example, it is time to clean thespa filters or that maintenance of the spa sanitation system (“ACE”) isrequired.

FIG. 6 shows an illustrative status screen presented to the user whenthe user selects the status link 143. In the screen of FIG. 6, atemperature display 149 is provided telling the user of the temperatureof the spa water and allowing the user to set the temperature either upor down via point/click or a touch operation, for example, on up/downarrows 150, 151. A water treatment system display 152 also allows theuser to set various parameters used to control the spa's water treatmentsystem, for example, spa size and usage levels, or select a boost modeor a salt test mode. The status of the sanitizer level and salt levelmay also be displayed. A maintenance check list display 153 may furtherbe provided, which, in the illustrative embodiment, displays the statusof the filter or whether a “clean” cycle is being performed, or whethera summer timer or a temperature lock is on or off, or whether a spa lockis on or off. In one embodiment, a “Spa Lock” will lock out allpushbutton operations unless an “unlock” sequence is keyed. Similarly“Temperature Lock” locks out the spa Temperature Control buttons whileleaving the other buttons functional and similarly is unlocked by a keysequence.

Selection of the “my media” link 142 results in provision to the user ofthe screen display of FIG. 7. This display provides a music controldisplay region 154 providing audio control via an amplifier “on” or“off” button, a dropdown selection for controlling the audio volume andselection of an equalizer boost function. An iCast control display area155 permits control of, for example, an iPod music input. FIG. 7 furtherprovides a “display control” area 157, which allows the user to set thebrightness of the user interface display, whether the temperature isdisplayed in Fahrenheit or Centigrade, and whether the user interfacedisplay is in English or in another selected language.

FIG. 8 illustrates a dealer log-in display wherein a spa dealer mayenter a user name and password. In this particular embodiment, thedealer may select one of three display screens by clicking or otherwiseperforming a selection operation on the links 159, 160, 161, labeled“customer status”, “spa operations” and “spa diagnostics”, e.g., in FIG.9.

FIG. 9 particularly illustrates a customer status display screen for aparticular customer, in this case “Peter Smith”, and providesinformation such as the spa serial number and installation date of PeterSmith's spa, as well as his phone number and address. A “lock data andtimers” display 162 is also provided, indicating the status of variouslock-outs and other status information, including temperature keylock-out, spa controller key lock-out, summer timer status, and thesummer timer time. A fault monitor display region 163 is furtherprovided in FIG. 9 to display various errors conditions should theyoccur at the user's site. Display is further provided of the reading ofthe spa current sensor, the spa heater current sensor, the pump currentsensor, and the status of the water chemical parameters. The displayscreen of FIG. 9 further provides an odometer count display region 164,which, for example, displays the amount the time the user's spa has beenin service, the amount of time the heater has been operated, and similartimes of operation for various other spa components.

FIG. 10 illustrates a “spa operations” display screen reached byselecting the “spa operations” link 160. The screen of FIG. 10 includesa temperature sensor monitor area 166, which displays the temperature atwhich the spa is set to operate, as well as the water temperature sensedby the spa's regulating and limiting temperature sensors. A spamaintenance display area 167 is further provided displaying a filterstatus, clean cycle status, summer timer status, temperature lockstatus, and spa lock status. A jets control display area 168 is furtherprovided, which permits the dealer to control the operation of the spajets including whether they are on or off, or, for example, operating ata high or a low speed. A light control display area 169 is locatedbeneath the jets control which allows the dealer to control the on/offstatus of various lights in the spa lighting system. An electricalparameter display area 170 displays the watts of power being consumed bythe spa, as well as the spa's amperage and operating voltage. Finally, aperipheral control display area 171 is provided to facilitate control ofthe spa music system and water care system.

FIG. 11 discloses a spa diagnostics display screen reached by selectingthe spa diagnostics link 161. The display of FIG. 11 includes an outputconfiguration display area 172 showing, for example, whether theparticular user's spa has one, two, or three jet pumps, whether it has ablower, and the heater and blower service modes. A pump configurationdisplay area 173 may be provided to indicate which one of severalconfigurations the user's pumps are in. A feature configuration displayarea 174 is further provided to indicate whether pump speeds are dual orsingle, whether daily operations are enabled or disabled, whether thedisplay temperature is in Fahrenheit or Centigrade, and whether thedisplay temperature is the actual water temperature or the set watertemperature. Finally, a lighting display configuration area 175 isprovided indicating the status of various lighting zones, and a timeoutdisplay area 176 is provided indicating timeouts for the pumps blowersand lights. Pump timeouts are the time values that control when amanually operated jet pump turns itself off automatically if the userdoes not otherwise operate the jets.

FIGS. 12 through 25 illustrate an alternate website configurationproviding a set of web pages shown in FIGS. 12-21 provideable by theserver 111 to the spa users/customers and a set of web pages shown inFIGS. 22-25 provideable by the server 111 to a spa dealer. Inparticular, FIG. 12 illustrates an entry display screen which may bereached from a spa manufacturer's homepage, for example, such aswww.hotspring.com or www.caldera.com, by clicking on a button, forexample, labeled “my spa” or the like, on the manufacturer homepage. Thedisplay of FIG. 12 enables a user to set up and select a particularregion and/or language, which will be employed in subsequent operations.In one embodiment, once a selection has been made on the display of FIG.12, the next time the “my spa” or similar link is selected on themanufacturer homepage, a stored cookie will cause the user to be linkeddirectly to the display of FIG. 13, which is the log-in screen. Either aspa user/homeowner or a dealer can log in using the display screen ofFIG. 13. A dealer access level causes the dealer to be suppliedinitially upon log-in with the display screen of FIG. 22.

A homeowner/end user log-in causes the user to be supplied by the serverwith the display screen of FIG. 14 with the link “my spa dashboard”highlighted or emphasized. As may be seen from FIG. 14, the user maynavigate from the spa dashboard page to two other pages, a “my dealerpage” and a frequently asked questions “FAQS” page. The display screenof FIG. 14 includes a “your spa” area 180 with the specifications of theuser's spa, and a spa status region 181. The spa status region 181displays the current water temperature and set water temperature of theuser's spa, and the filter status, as well as indicators specifyingwhich spa features are currently activated. When one of a column ofseven “Spa Controls” links 182 is selected, the display 183 adjacent therespective arrow tips of the links changes, depending upon which one ofthe seven links 182 is selected via a point and click, touch sensitive,or other similar operation. The display screen of FIG. 14 shows thedisplay presented in area 183 when the “Temperature” link is selected.In such case, the set water temperature is displayed to the user alongwith a dropdown arrow 184, which causes display of a column of othertemperatures which the user may select in order to change the settemperature.

The display of FIG. 15 illustrates the state of the spa dashboard screenwhen the “Ace Water Control” link is selected. In this case, the displayregion 183 shows the status of a “boost” command, a salt test and thespa use and spa size level selections. Spa usage level and spa size maybe selected or specified by the user utilizing respective dropdownarrows 185, 186. In one embodiment, spa size and usage levels are inputsprovided to a spa sanitizing system in order to control the amount ofpurifying agents, for example, oxidizers, such as chlorine, generated bythe spa sanitizing system. In one embodiment, the user may furtheractivate the “boost” command or the salt test command. Activating thesalt test command causes the spa sanitizing system to perform functionswhich measure the salt level and indicate whether it may be necessary toadd salt, for example. Activating the “boost” command causes generationof additional spa purifying agents such as chlorine, to be added to thewater. In one embodiment, the “boost” command may cause an oxidizergenerating device to run for an extended period of time, such as, forexample, 24 hours.

FIG. 16 indicates the display provided by the spa dashboard page whenthe third link “Jet Operation” of the links 182 is selected. In suchcase, the status of the jets is indicated in area 183, for example, Jet1 “on” and Jet 2 “low”, where Jet 2 is a selectable speed jet. Withrespect to Jet 1, for example, the user may turn that jet on or off, forexample, by a point and click operation, or may select the speed ofoperation of the variable speed Jet 2 employing, for example, a pointand click selection performed on a dropdown menu 187.

FIG. 17 indicates the display provided by the spa dashboard page whenthe fourth spa control link “Audio System” of the links 182 is selected.The display area 183 in the embodiment shown may provide the song title,artist name, and album of a song being played by the audio system andalso provides sliders 183 for adjusting treble, base, balance, andsubwoofer. The sliders 183 may be moved either left or right by, forexample, touching them with a mouse cursor and moving the slider to theleft or right with the mouse. Alternately, of course, in a touch screenembodiment, the user's finger could be used to move a slider 181 to theleft or right.

FIG. 18 illustrates the display provided by the spa dashboard page whenthe fifth link “Lighting Operation” of the links 182 is selected. A“Main Lighting Operation” display area 194 is provided to the user insuch case and includes a “Theme Select” dropdown menu 190 which, forexample, may enable the user to select various lighting effects such as“relax,” “tranquil”, “ocean breeze”, “sunset”, or “candlelight”. A mainspa light may be turned “on” or “off” by the user, for example, by apoint and click operation, and the color of the main light may beselected employing a dropdown menu 191, for example. A brightness slider192 is further provided to allow dimming or brightening of the lightlevel provided by the main light. An “Accessory Operation” display area193 enables various light features to be turned “on” or “off” by theuser, and their colors varied by employing a dropdown menu 195. Theparticular display lighting features in area 193 include pillow lights,water feature lights, bar top lights, and a color wheel.

FIG. 19 illustrates the display provided by the spa dashboard page inarea 183 when the user selects the “Tools” link of the link list 182. Inthe particular embodiment shown, the tools displayed in area 183 include“clean cycle”, “temperature lock”, “spa lock”, and summer timersettings, which may be either set “on” or “off” by the user.

FIG. 20 illustrates a Routine Maintenance Notifications webpage. FIG. 20is displayed when the user selects the “Reports” link of the link list182 of the spa dashboard. The Routine Maintenance Notifications pageprovides maintenance notifications to the user such as, for example,that the system water filter is due for replacement. In one embodiment,for example, the spa node 23 may send a “dirty filter” message to theserver 111, which then sends a “clean lint trap” message maintenancenotification 197 to the end user. The server 111 is capable of combiningor performing mathematical operations with various inputs received fromthe spa node 23 to make a decision as to what type of notificationsshould be sent to the user like “clean your filter”. In one embodiment,the Routine Maintenance Notification page may be constructed to displayenergy consumption information or spa usage charts. The user may returnto the spa dashboard page by clicking on the “back to dashboard” link198.

In one embodiment, selecting the “My Dealer” link 178 on the spadashboard page provides the user with the webpage shown on FIG. 21,which, in this embodiment, displays an image 199 of the spa dealerretail outlet where the user purchased the spa. In one embodiment, thedealer can change the displayed image 199 and can also optionallyprovide display advertisements to the user/customer on this page. Adropdown menu 201 is also provided allowing the spa owner to send amessage to the dealer. In one embodiment, when the “general inquiry”message urgency level is selected, an email message addressed to thedealer comes up on the user's display, and the user may then enter hisquestions or other information to be transmitted to the dealer computer113.

FIG. 22 illustrates the first display screen provided to a spa dealer onthe display device associated with a dealer computer, e.g., 113, whenthe dealer enters the spa monitoring portal via the login display ofFIG. 13. The webpage of FIG. 22 includes an alert box 202 listingcustomers and status information regarding troubles or system failuresexperienced by their respective spas, as well as the location of thecustomer and the date that the alert was generated. The display of FIG.22 further provides a scrollable list of customers 203 which issearchable in one embodiment by spa model customer name, city, andtechnician assigned to that customer. In one embodiment, the “spaalerts” displayed in box 202 are sent by a spa node 23 directly to thedealer without involvement of the central server 111.

FIG. 23 illustrates a webpage or screen display provided to the dealercomputer 113 when the dealer selects a particular customer's name on thescreen of FIG. 22. The screen of FIG. 23 provides information about thecustomer's spa, customer contact information, and further providesstatus information 206. The status information 206 particularly includesfault monitor status, which reports various fault conditions in thecustomer's spa. In one embodiment, the dealer is enabled to clear suchfaults. A system status display 207 is also provided including thecurrent water temperature, the current kilowatts and amps, the settemperature of the spa, and the water temperature reading of a limitingtemperature sensor of the spa, all of which have been transmitted fromthe spa node 23 to the server 111, and then provided to the dealer, forexample, via the dealer computer 113 and associated display. The displayfurther provides a communication status display indicating at a glancethat the SNA 23 and HNA 25 are both online and the status of the spaheater and spa filter.

The webpage of FIG. 23 additionally provides three links 206, 207, 208,to three respective webpages: a customer information page, an operationpage, and a configuration page. A “back to customer” link 250 is alsoprovided to enable returning to the display screen of FIG. 22. A messageinbox display 251 is also provided to inform the dealer of alerts whichhave been received but not acknowledged. In one embodiment, clicking onthis link 251 returns the dealer display to the customer display of FIG.22.

FIG. 24 illustrates the display provided to the dealer when theoperation link 207 of FIG. 23 is selected. The display screen of FIG. 24provides electrical and diagnostic information as to the spa status aswell as to the filter status. It further provides the dealer with thesame set of spa control links 183 provided on the homeowner/end user'spages of FIGS. 14-20 and enables the dealer to control the functions ofthe spa in the same fashion by commands transmitted from the dealer node113 to the spa node 23.

FIG. 25 illustrates the display screen provided to the dealer when thedealer selects the configuration link 208. The screen of FIG. 25provides the dealer with information as to the firm ware version beingused by the spa controller 13 at the particular customer's site, as wellas spa output information 254, spa feature configuration information255, and spa lighting configuration information 256. In one embodiment,the output features and lighting parameters are read-only, but inanother embodiment, they may be read/write, allowing the dealer tochange various configuration parameters, for example, changing the zonelighting configuration by disabling selected zones.

FIGS. 26-32 illustrate one embodiment of a handheld device applicationfor communicating in the spa networking system. These FIGS. 26-32illustrate a Smartphone application 258 on the left and a tabletapplication 260 on the right. FIG. 26 illustrates the applicationloading on the display screen on the handheld device 258, 260. TheSmartphone device 258 may employ, for example, an Apple or Androidoperating system. FIG. 27 illustrates the user login screen which leadsthe user to the display screen of FIG. 28. The screen of FIG. 28 permitsthe user to access subsequent web pages by providing four respectivelinks; “spa controls” link 263, “notifications and reports” link 264,“dealer info” link 265, and “settings” link 266. In one embodiment,these links 263, 264, 265, 266, are touch selectable according toconventional or other handheld device operation protocols.

Selecting the spa controls link 263 on the display of FIG. 28 providesthe user with the display of FIG. 29, which allows the user to control anumber of spa parameters from the handheld device 258, 260. For example,the user can set the water temperature and can set various water carefeatures such as turning on the boost command, initiating a salt leveltest, and setting the spa usage and spa size parameters via respectivedropdown menus 271, 272. The screen of FIG. 29 further allows the userto select a “clean” cycle, or to turn-on or off the temperature lock.

FIG. 30 illustrates the display provided to the user of the handhelddevice 258, 260, when the notifications and reports link 264 isselected. The notification and reports screen of FIG. 30 alerts the userto problems or to maintenance which is due or necessary with respect tothe user's spa.

FIG. 31 illustrates the display provided to the user when the userselects the dealer info link on the screen of FIG. 28. The screenprovides the handheld device's user with the dealer's contactinformation and enables the user to contact the dealer by eithertelephoning the dealer or emailing him from the handheld device.Additionally, the user can access the dealer's website using the webaddress provided on the display of FIG. 31.

The FIG. 32 illustrates a display provided to the user when the userselects the “settings” link 266 on the display of FIG. 28. The“settings” screen allows the user to change the user name or password,disable the “notifications” function so that the user does not receivenotifications, and allows the user to sign out.

FIG. 33 illustrates an alternate spa networking embodiment employingdirect data tunneling. The network of FIG. 33 includes a designatedowner PC 215, a home network 226, an HNA 225, an SNA 223, a spa 226, acentral server 211, a dealer network 214, a designated dealer PC 213,and optional laptop 210 and PDA 212. As in the embodiment of FIG. 3,each HNA 225 has a unique MAC (media access control) address whichenables the dealer to send commands directly to the HNA through theInternet. In the embodiment of FIG. 33, the designated owner PC maycommunicate directly to the HNA through a direct data tunnel to the SNA223. In this embodiment, the HNA 225 may open a secure socket (directdata tunnel) to either the designated owner PC or a designated dealerPC. An application program, for example, running on the dealer'scomputer 213 or the homeowner's computer 215 determines whether aparticular communication goes to the central server 211 or to theSNA/spa 223. A type of communication which would go straight from theowner PC 215 to the SNA/spa via a secure socket direct data tunnel wouldbe, for example, a jet pump control signal, whereas data dumps regardingthe spa status, for example, would be communicated to the server 211,such as, for example, error conditions, and operating status of the spa.

FIG. 34 illustrates the back surface of an SNA embodiment particularlyillustrating a “join mode” switch or button 231. This button 231 andattendant circuitry within the SNA enables field replacement of an SNAwhile still maintaining network security. When a new SNA is installedinto the network, the join switch is depressed, which advises the HNA ofthe SNA's new address and invites the HNA to join the network using thatnew address and to thereafter exclude communication with any otheraddress other than the address of the newly installed SNA. Once thisnetwork configuration communication has occurred, when the network isagain powered up, the network operates in a normal state where the HNAand SNA only communicate with the designated new network address,thereby maintaining network security.

In one embodiment, the dealer and/or homeowner computers can collect,i.e., download, the application software necessary to participate in thesystem from the server 111 or elsewhere in the computing “cloud.” Forexample, upon dealer log-in, the server 111 may send the dealer computer113 the cookies it needs to work with the system and the subsequentprocesses includes fetching a table of the MAC addresses of the userswith whom that dealer is authorized to communicate. Such MAC addressesare then used, for example, when the dealer seeks to access a user HNA25 in order to perform a test on that user's particular spa or toexercise other control functions. Accessing of the application softwarein this fashion avoids the necessity for the dealers and users toinstall applications using hard disc (CDs, etc.).

In various embodiments, the PSA 21 may be mounted adjacent the spacontroller 10 or control box 13, or integrated into the spa controller13. likewise, the SNA 23 could be integrated into the controller orcontrol box 13 and could comprise, in one embodiment, a wireless hubseparate from the PSA 21 which hub could be configured to communicatewith other devices such as an intrusion alarm, spa cover sensors,exterior lighting modules or other componentry.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations andmodifications of the just described preferred embodiment can beconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced other than as specificallydescribed herein.

1. Apparatus comprising: a spa controller configured to controloperation of a plurality of spa components and to generate status dataregarding the status of such components; a power sense unit configuredto compute power being drawn by one or more selected spa components andhaving a first wireless transceiver; a spa network adapter configured tocommunicate over a wireless link with said spa controller to receivedata from said spa controller and to transmit data and commands to saidspa controller and having a second wireless transceiver; the spa networkadapter further being configured to receive power data computed by saidpower sense unit and transmitted over a wireless link between said firstand second wireless transceivers; a home network adapter having a thirdwireless transceiver and configured to receive data transmitted fromsaid spa network adapter over a wireless link between said second andthird wireless transceivers and to convert said data to a form suitablefor transmission to an Internet access point; wherein the spa networkadapter is further configured to transmit both power data and statusdata received from the spa controller over a wireless link between saidsecond and third wireless transceivers to said home network adapter. 2.The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said home network adapter is linkableover the Internet to a central server, a dealer computer and/or a spaowner or user computer.